Hillsong wants to take over Brisbane church!

I just read a report in today's newspaper, of Hillsong wanting to take over Garden City Christian Church here in Brisbane. I have actually been inside that church before 2-3 years back, when it held a concert conducted by the Ugandan orphans of Watoto (& a wonderful concert it was, too). It's a nice church. But anyway, reading that newspaper report this morning sat off some alarm bells.

Understandably, certain people within Garden City Christian Church are not happy about the proposed takeover. One figure said he did not like the idea of Hillsong controlling everything about the church's affairs - they would get too much power to do things as they please. Fair comment, certainly. But going beyond that, one should question Hillsong's motives for taking over. One might reasonably suspect that the prime motive is to make money. That, by itself, is not wrong. But if the motive is indeed to make money, one has to ask a further question - for what purpose? If the money is generated to fund godly purposes (e.g. build more churches, give financial support to church workers & missionaries), then that is absolutely fine & good. On the other hand, if the money is generated for personal gain, then I consider that to be inappropriate. That was what set off the alarm bells - the possibility that Hillsong might have such inappropriate motive in mind when proposing to take over Garden City Christian Church.

I don't think it's appropriate for people who claim to be serving God & working for God to use a church to seek financial gain to enrich themselves personally. Of course, if you work for a church, & you get paid a certain reasonable amount by the church, then that is fair enough, as that is not financial gain. Churches should be for fellow Christians to come together & serve God & be encouraged by Him & each other. Churches should be devoted to building up God's Kingdom & reach out for the lost & unsaved souls. Those should be what churches are for. Taking over a church to make money for oneself is, to me, not appropriate.

Of course, there is the possibility that Hillsong's take over of Garden City Christian Church could generate both outcomes. What I mean in saying that is by taking over that church, Hillsong's proprietors might make personal gain AND at the same time manage to reach out & help save unbelieving souls. So there could be a mixture of undesirable & desirable outcomes by Hillsong's proposed activity in Brisbane. If that were to be the case, then I approve & applaud the latter outcome (the reaching out to unbelieving souls). As for the the former outcome (the personal gain), I don't approve but that is for God to judge. And that time will eventually come, when the Hillsong proprietors will have to answer to the Lord for any inappropriate motives which they might have (if any) when seeking to take over the Garden City Christian Church.